accusers, who took this method of stilling the clamours whereby they disturbed the serenity of that married state into which their seducers had recently entered; and, with the violent death of their victims, forget the double injuries which they had inflicted on them.

The picture is a frightful one-it displays Romanism in all its hideous deformities s; but the reader must be contented to take it on our authority; for we dare not further lift the veil.

CHAPTER. X.

"This is the hag, when maids lie on their back,

That presses them."

ROMEO AND JULIET.

Act i., Scene 5.

OF THE NIGHT MARE.

It is with pleasure that we are able to assure our readers that we turn now to cleaner pages; and that, though we shall have abundant superstition in the following pages, we shall not be compelled to exorcise by wholesale in some parts, or to give a turn to the author's writings, so as to avoid offences against decency, And now, we will preface these succeeding chapters with the

language of Washington Irving, the renowned historian of New York. "I cunningly led my readers, at the first sally, into two or three knotty chapters, where they were most woefully belaboured and buffeted by a host of Pagan philosophers and infidel writers. Though naturally a very grave man, yet could I scarce refrain from smiling outright at seeing the utter confusion and dismay of my valiant cavaliers-some dropped down dead (asleep) on the field; others threw down my book in the middle of the first chapter, took to their heels, and never ceased scampering until they had fairly run it out of sight; when they stopped to take breath, to tell their friends what troubles they had undergone, and to warn all others from venturing on so thankless an expedition. Every page thinned my ranks more and more; and, of the vast multitude that first set out, but a comparatively few made shift to survive, in an exceedingly battered condition, through the five introductory chapters.

"What then! would you have had me take such sunshine, faint-hearted, recreants to my bosom at our first acquaintance? No, no; I reserved my friendship for those who deserved it; for those who undauntedly bore me company, in despite of difficulties, dangers, and fatigues.

And now, as to those who adhere to me at present, I take them affectionately by the hand." History of New York.

And now turn we to the text of our author. He tells us that the night-mare is a thing of very common occurrence, and well known to both the learned and the vulgar; although a great deal more is said about it than is deserving of credit. It is something that happens to mankind in sleep, and presses upon them so that they can neither stir nor call out, but all this is easily explained by natural causes. Physicians term this malady Incubus, or Ephialtes, which so oppresses men's breath, when they are in a deep sleep that they can neither speak, nor call out for assistance. People in these circumstances usually dream that they have something lying on their breast; and some foolish people have gone so far as to declare that they have seen a dwarf, or something like one, crawl upon their bed and lie across their chest. It occurs to people of all ages, and lasts half an hour, or an hour; but generally for a much shorter time. They speak in their sleep, but not so as to be understood; when they awake, and have shaken it off, they still experience a trembling and weakness of the limbs, as if they had been beaten.

Our author goes on to account for the causes of night-mare, and, although they are well known at the present time, we will venture to transcribe his remarks, as affording a picture of the medical knowledge of that day. "This malady generally affects those who lie on their back, especially with both arms under their head. Dr. Twinger, in his Conscientious Physician, page 1060, says, 'several superstitious and simple women, who yet imagine themselves extremely wise, persuade themselves and others that nightmare is occasioned either by a spirit or by witchcraft, by which people are terrified in their sleep.' It is a rash imagination also, when people attribute divers diseases, which are difficult of cure, to witchcraft. The ancient physicians, who had not deeply studied anatomy and chemistry, were of opinion that this complaint was caused by the fumes arising from an overloaded stomach, by which the stomach and the lungs are oppressed, and the motions of the diaphragm interfered with, so as to impede respiration. But as this malady overtakes people, who have not overloaded their stomach by eating supper, I am rather inclined to believe that this is occasioned by a Halitus narcoticus, or a thick and unwholesome vapor, which mingles with the volatile spirits, especially those which proceed from